George a



GH-A- GRAVES.

BICYCLE.

(No Model.)

N0. 544,165. Patented Aug.6,1895.

WIIWESSES I UNITED STATES P TENT @FFICE GEORGE A. GRAVES, OFJOPLIII,MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN C. MOKEE, OF SAME PLACE.

BICYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters. Eatent No. 544,165, dated August6, 1895. Application filed December 13, 1894. Serial No. 581,708. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. GRAVES, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Joplin, in the county of Jasper and State of Missouri,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bicycles; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, which will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in bicycles; and its object is toprovide an improved construction of the same wherein the ordinarychain-gearing is dispensed with and a connecting-rod employed betweenthe treadleshaft and driving-wheel. Means are also provided forincreasing or decreasing the speed of the driving-Wheel without changingthe speed of the treadles.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination ofparts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation ofasafety-bicycle constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is adetail perspective view of the treadles and their shaft. Fig. 3 is asimilar view of the driving mechanism.

In the said drawings the reference-numeral l designates the front wheel,and 2 the rear or driving wheel, of what is known as a safety-bicycle. I

The numeral 3 designates the fork; 4, the steering-bar; 5 5 and 6 6,bars connected with the axle of the driving-wheel, and 7, 8, and 9brace-bars constituting the bicycle-frame.

The parts so far described may be of any ordinary or suitableconstruction, as they form no part of my invention.

Secured to the front ends of the bars 6 6 are brackets or boxes 10, inwhich are journaled two shafts 11 and 11, each of which is provided atone end with intermeshing pinions 12. The said shafts at opposite endsare provided with treadles 13. Passing through a slot 16 in one of thetreadles is an arm 17, which is adjustable therein and held in place bymeans of a set-screw 18. Pivoted to the according to the relativeproportions of the lower end of this arm is a rearwardly-extendingpitman or red 20, the opposite end of which is secured to a sleeve 21,journaled in a crank 23, consisting of two plates, which rotate on ashaft 24., journaled in bearings secured to the bicycle-frame. Thesleeve 21 has secured to it a pinion 25, which is located between thetwo plates comprising the crank 23, and which meshes with a pinion 26,fixed to asleeve 27, journaled on shaft 24, and to which thedriving-wheel is secured.

The operation is as follows: The treadles are alternately depressed andelevated by the action of the rider. This movement will cause the lowerend of the arm carrying the pitman to oscillate back and forth, and therear end of the said rod, carrying the sleeve and fixed pinion,willrevolve about the shaft of the driving-wheel, which pinion, intermeshingwith the pinion fixed to the sleeve of the driving-wheel, will cause thelatter to be ro-' tated one or more times for every revolution,

two pinions. By varying the length of the treadles and changing therelative sizes of the said pinions any desired speed of thedriving-wheel may be attained. By adjusting the arm 17 the stroke of thepitman 20 can be changed or regulated.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is- In a bicycle,the combination with the frame, the treadle shaft, the intermeshingpinions secured thereto, the treadles and the adjustable arm connectedwith one of said treadles, of the pitman, the sleeve secured thereto,the crank in which said sleeve is journaled, the pinion fixed to saidsleeve, the intermeshing pinion, the shaft upon which said crankrotates, the sleeve mounted upon said shaft, and the driving-wheelsecured to said sleeve, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereuntoaffixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE A. GRAVES. Witnesses:

W. B. MGANTIRE, W. W. COOHRAN.

